Big Apple to Big D

Friday, I was basically waiting for the Stars game to come around, checked my email and saw an update from the Robert Randolph and the Family Band site saying that the band was coming to Dallas on Halloween. I’m not much of a fanboy, per se, and I hate signing up for updates like that, but if you’ve ever seen a RRFB show, you’ll know they are electric, often hilarious affairs.

After a few quick emails to gauge interest, I headed over to the House of Blues to buy tickets (and avoid a Ticketmaster surcharge) and was ready to pay $22.50 for SRO tickets. SRO at the House of Blues means no seat, but you get to stand right up against the stage and have easy access to the bar.

Doors opened at 8pm and I rushed my companions to get there around 8:45 or so. Around 9:15, Black Joe Lewis came on. BJL comes out in jeans, a dark t-shirt and a baseball hat. His five-piece band is comprised of five skinny white guys in skinny jeans, white shirts, and horned-rimmed glasses. Joe wails like a cross between James Brown and Lou Rawls. The horn section is a nice touch and adds a great funk/soul vibe to songs with names such as ‘Sugarfoot’ and ‘Big Booty Woman.’

After a decent set, Joe Lewis leaves and the HoB finally starts to fill. Clearly, these people knew about the opening act, unlike me. About a third of the crowd in the pit were dressed up, including one great one of balloon boy.

RRFB finally came on stage sometime after 10:30 (Game 3 was on and the band is from NJ, so I’m sure they were kicking it backstage, watching Pettitte and the Yanks take care of business).

Robert was in a white suit and fedora, a la Smooth Criminal. Danyel was rocking the red Thriller get-up, including a sick jeri-curl wig.

Danyel, the thing with 40 eyes.

Likewise, Marcus was pushing the 80’s style with a Beat It costume. Jason Crosby, the keyboardist was wearing a large black fedora, stringy black wig, and white surgical mask. The guitarist (not sure who it was) wore a military-style jacket that MJ used to wear.

The band started out with “Thriller”, heading right into their own “Nobody.” Along with some of their best-known songs, including “Good Times” and “I Need More Love”, the band played “Man in the Mirror” and did the usual “Ladies Night” where they pull girls from the audience to dance on stage, as well as some later songs where they bring amateurs up to play guitar. This was particular funny this time as the first guy they pulled up was, well, not good. He was joined on stage my a Ricky Ricardo lookalike, complete with mini-conga. When Robert asked him to leave, the guy said, “but I’m from South America!” He batted the mini-drum for a few bars before he and the strummer got hauled off by HoB security. A guy was actually hauled up onstage who could play the pedal steel (see below).

The Easter Bunny (and unknown guest) plays at the House of Blues during Robert Randolph and the Family Band Halloween concert.

Finally, another guy was pulled on stage… dressed in a full Easter Bunny costume. It took a minute to get the guitar strap over this enormous ears and head, but he got set, found out what key they were in, and kicked ass. After the finale, as the band threw their various picks and drumsticks into the band, I saw one fingerpick arch slowly into the blue light of the stage. Unfortunately, Betsy had been buying Jameson shots, and I’d been downing Shiners like they were running out of the stuff, so the pick bounced of my palm and skittered away.

Incidentally, I was wearing a captain’s hat, blazer, ascot tie, and white pants. Betsy was in a tennis skirt and polo. Only two people figured out that we were Judge Smails and Lacy Underall.

A nice change from dreary old Manhattan

I guess you need something blatant or timely. Our companion was Mr Chow from the Hangover, and looked the part, but the real spectacle was on stage, so I wasn’t too worried about how we appeared.

We wandered out, hitched a ride with our friend to get some food at Cafe Brazil on Cedar Springs. as it’s a notoriously gay neighborhood, the costumes there were excellent, and my open shirt, silk tie, and nautical theme got a few quiet cat-calls, despite being accompanied by a blonde girl in a tennis outfit.

Drunk and hungry, we ordered quite an array of food at 1:30am. Biscuits and gravy followed by migas for me. It was an interesting, albeit satisfying, entry into the world of late-night eats in the Great State of Texas. Southern cooking meets Tex-Mex. Cafe Brazil definitely hits the spot that late (and that sauced) and thankfully, they don’t serve beer. I ordered one despite REALLY not needing it. Thanks Cafe Brazil.